I really think JPII, B16, and now Francis have been gifts to the church in different ways. You don’t have be Catholic to appreciate their writings and how they live their ministries (albeit, we’ll see what time brings with Francis.

My grandmother used to explain to me how Catholics aren’t Christians (she was also the Sunday School teacher). We had a big email debate a couple of years ago in which she referenced a lot of bad history before I gave up.

I personally think that like all branches of Christianity, there are good things and bad things about Catholicism. I love their desire to be united even despite differences – there are bigger differences between some Orders of Catholicism than between the thousands of the varieties of Protestants. I love their groundedness in history. Sure, there’s lots I don’t like, too, and I’ll never become Catholic, but I do want to keep learning from them as well as others.

Also, that video is such an epic montage style that you can only get away with for elections (political and religious) or sports. Made me think of the ones from the Olympics that play every half an hour.